Shloka 16
अम्बोपाख्याने तापसानां विचारः तथा होत्रवाहनस्य उपदेशः
Ambā among ascetics; Hotravāhana directs her to Paraśurāma
समनुज्ञासिषं कन्यामम्बां ज्येष्ठां नराधिप । भीष्मजी कहते हैं--नरेश्वर! तब मैंने माता गन्धवती कालीसे आज्ञा ले मन्त्रियों, ऋत्विजों तथा पुरोहितोंसे पूछकर बड़ी राजकुमारी अम्बाको जानेकी आज्ञा दे दी,यथा शाल्वपते नानयं॑ वरं ध्यामि कथंचन । त्वामृते पुरुषव्याप्र तथा मूर्धानमालभे 'पुरुषसिंह शाल्वराज! मैं अपना मस्तक छूकर कहती हूँ; तुम्हारे सिवा दूसरे किसी वरका मैं किसी प्रकार भी चिन्तन नहीं करती हूँ
samanujñāsiṣaṁ kanyām ambāṁ jyeṣṭhāṁ narādhipa | yathā śālvapate nānyaṁ varaṁ dhyāmi kathaṁcana | tvām ṛte puruṣavyāghra tathā mūrdhānam ālabhe ||
Bhishma said: “O king, having obtained the permission of the queen-mother and after consulting the ministers, the officiating priests, and the family priest, I allowed the eldest princess, Amba, to depart. And she declared to the lord of Shalva: ‘I do not, in any way, contemplate any husband other than you. O tiger among men, apart from you alone, I touch my head and make this solemn avowal.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical weight of consent and prior commitment in marriage: Amba asserts exclusive choice of Shalva, and Bhishma—after due consultation—permits her to go, showing that dharma involves respecting declared intent and social-religious procedure.
Bhishma recounts that he formally allowed the eldest princess Amba to leave, after consulting royal and priestly authorities. Amba then states to King Shalva that she has chosen him alone as her husband and reinforces her claim with a solemn gesture of touching her head.